Roatan Reef
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Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
West Palm Beach Reefer
Ocala Reef Club Member
305 Reef Club
MAC of SW Florida
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Hello all, sorry, I've been absent from R2R for a while as summer is ramped up, and it's vacation time!
Long story short, 1st time back to Roatan, Honduras since 2018. We did Bonaire in 2019, and of course planned to go back to Roatan again, but as you all know, the C word happened.
Although we had an awesome vacation in general this past week, boy...was I devastated at the destruction to the shallow to intermediate reef in Roatan. It's gotten bad folks!
The lack of marine life was crazy, many bleaching corals, some trying to come back to life etc, but this is the worst I've seen it since 2008!
Some factors:
Roatan has had 2 massive bleaching events in the last 5 years.
During Covid, the island was shut down basically , and until March of this year they still required a pre check form that deterred a lot of travelers.
Although it's a marine park and catching certain species of fish are prohibited,,aside of Lion Fish,, the loss of tourists and $$$$$ encouraged the locals to feed on what they could, including protected species.
I was able to find a few spots where the reef was still decent, but the main spots like West Bay Beach area shallow Reef is pretty much toast now. Some of the Cays and places like Half Moon Bay were still pretty decent. Lots of fans, tubes, Gorgonian, and brain corals doing good and or recovering.
Hopefully it will recover. We've seen it get bad,,then next year or 2, it comes back.
Here are some photos: Fans, tubes, Gorgonian,, Brains, fish include grunts, Sargent Majors, Parrot Fish, wrasse, Bar Jacks, fairy basslet, giant urchins, etc..
Long story short, 1st time back to Roatan, Honduras since 2018. We did Bonaire in 2019, and of course planned to go back to Roatan again, but as you all know, the C word happened.
Although we had an awesome vacation in general this past week, boy...was I devastated at the destruction to the shallow to intermediate reef in Roatan. It's gotten bad folks!
The lack of marine life was crazy, many bleaching corals, some trying to come back to life etc, but this is the worst I've seen it since 2008!
Some factors:
Roatan has had 2 massive bleaching events in the last 5 years.
During Covid, the island was shut down basically , and until March of this year they still required a pre check form that deterred a lot of travelers.
Although it's a marine park and catching certain species of fish are prohibited,,aside of Lion Fish,, the loss of tourists and $$$$$ encouraged the locals to feed on what they could, including protected species.
I was able to find a few spots where the reef was still decent, but the main spots like West Bay Beach area shallow Reef is pretty much toast now. Some of the Cays and places like Half Moon Bay were still pretty decent. Lots of fans, tubes, Gorgonian, and brain corals doing good and or recovering.
Hopefully it will recover. We've seen it get bad,,then next year or 2, it comes back.
Here are some photos: Fans, tubes, Gorgonian,, Brains, fish include grunts, Sargent Majors, Parrot Fish, wrasse, Bar Jacks, fairy basslet, giant urchins, etc..
